I need computer expert help regarding OS and RAM speed

[Xntryk]

I recently got a new system and it came with windows 8.1 32 bit installed,... I ordered it with windows 8.1 64 bit, and they sent a 64 bit disk along with the computer. will there be a performance difference if I upgrade to the 64 bit version? Also, I ordered RAM 2133MHZ, but the bios setting is on 1600 MHZ... the tech told me I could change that in the settings.... will that improve performance significantly? will I mess other things up by making these changes ?... will i need to reset my graphics card and other drivers ? Will these changes help performance with the Oculus Rift ?



Thanks in advance for anyone that can help......CMNDR Xntryk

(maybe one day someone will teach me how to make a cool signature thumbnail =)

 

[adoredtv]

You won't see a huge performance increase but you'll be able to use more of your memory (above 3GB) with the 64-bit windows.

You can go into your BIOS and select "XMP Profile 1" or something similar, and it'll change your memory to 2133 MHz, but you won't notice a big difference with that either. Still, no reason not to do it.

No you won't need to reset your graphics card and other drivers. No it won't help performance with the OR.

So long as you haven't got a lot of stuff on your system already you might as well go ahead and do all this though, especially the 64-bit upgrade.

 

[wibbleboy]

I recently got a new system and it came with windows 8.1 32 bit installed,... I ordered it with windows 8.1 64 bit, and they sent a 64 bit disk along with the computer. will there be a performance difference if I upgrade to the 64 bit version? Also, I ordered RAM 2133MHZ, but the bios setting is on 1600 MHZ... the tech told me I could change that in the settings.... will that improve performance significantly? will I mess other things up by making these changes ?... will i need to reset my graphics card and other drivers ? Will these changes help performance with the Oculus Rift ?



Thanks in advance for anyone that can help......CMNDR Xntryk

(maybe one day someone will teach me how to make a cool signature thumbnail =)

As Adored already stated, 32-bit Windows will only be able to access 3-3.25GB of RAM, depending upon other hardware you have fitted. Upgrading to 64-bit will allow you to use the full memory installed, but I don't think you can upgrade from 32 to 64-bit, you'd possibly need to backup your files and reinstall the OS, drivers and applications from scratch.

As for memory, your system will run at the speed of the slowest component, either the RAM sticks, the motherboard, or the CPU; so if your existing RAM is 2133 and your motherboard supports 2133, then you should be fine with the faster settings; you should see a slight improvement in performance, but you probably won't get anywhere near the 25% suggested by the difference in clock speed. If anything stops working after the upgrade, try resetting your BIOS to factory settings.

 

[NumptyScrub]

I recently got a new system and it came with windows 8.1 32 bit installed,... I ordered it with windows 8.1 64 bit, and they sent a 64 bit disk along with the computer. will there be a performance difference if I upgrade to the 64 bit version? Also, I ordered RAM 2133MHZ, but the bios setting is on 1600 MHZ... the tech told me I could change that in the settings.... will that improve performance significantly? will I mess other things up by making these changes ?... will i need to reset my graphics card and other drivers ? Will these changes help performance with the Oculus Rift ?



Thanks in advance for anyone that can help......CMNDR Xntryk

(maybe one day someone will teach me how to make a cool signature thumbnail =)

Going from 1600MHz to 2133MHz is a 33% increase in memory clock speed; you may see fairly significant gains in some areas, however it all depends on whether your RAM was the bottleneck or not. You may notice no difference in some programs, and a significant difference in others. If the memory is certified for use at 2133MHz then clock it up, you shouldn't break anything.

Going from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows is not a trivial job. You will basically need to wipe and reinstall the operating system, and then possibly reinstall all drivers and programs you need. Copy off any important data (as in any data you deem important, photos / personal files etc) and then wipe it and do a fresh reinstall. Hopefully the 64-bit DVD you were given is actually a restore DVD (not just the basic Windows 8 install disc), so with luck it should also already have all the default drivers and programs for your machine and take it back to factory settings (including any trial versions of antivirus suites etc.)

I would absolutely recommend ensuring you copy off any important (personal) data first, and then I would absolutely recommend switching to a 64-bit Windows install and changing the memory to the stated 2133MHz in your BIOS settings. You should be able to change the memory speed without needing to make any other changes. Windows will just use what it has, and some motherboards will actually let you make some changes on the fly these days; the Asus motherboard on this machine actually gives me the option of manually changing voltages and all sorts from within a Windows application, although it doesn't allow access to the memory clock speed (that still needs to be done in the BIOS).